Bato's Nightmare
by Daethtofools
Summary: After Bato was injured, he decided to teach at a town called Calmere. The Gaang decide to visit him, but end up in an unfolding mystery of the history of Calmere. Based off Minecraft's Calmere's Nightmare Prerelease. DISCONTINUED THANKS TO MY BOREDOM
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**** - Hello and welcome to another story! You must all hate me now since I haven't been working on my stories, but one of my best friends died recently, and I didn't feel like writing then. So, now I have another horror story (not Halloween), let's begin!**

**Disclaimer - I OWN NOTHING**

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><p><em>"Truth is always strange."<em>

_- Lord Byron_

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><p>Sokka asked himself what he was doing in such a stinking place in the middle of nowhere like this 'Calmere'. The rain pelted on the Gaang, and thunder clapped in the distance. The dirt path was quickly forming into mud, making their feet sink into the ground with every step.<p>

"Ugh, are we there yet, Snoozles?" Toph shouted, taking another step in the mud.

"Actually, yes. It's right up ahead!" Sokka exclaimed, rolling up his now soaked map and nearly falling into a puddle of mud.

The town wasn't a cheerful place, covered with vines and moss, shadows coating most of the place, and looked particularly empty. The Gaang stepped onto the paved road and Aang's ear twitched. He turned to the river and gasped, grabbing Sokka's arm. "Look at that!"

Bobbing up and down in the river was a short bald man, with snow white skin and dark brown robes. "C'mon, we got to go help him!" Aang exclaimed, and began to make an ice bridge. Sokka sighed, and Katara said, "Toph and I will head for the inn. We'll see you in a minute." And walked into the town.

Sokka then turned to Aang, who was walking on the bridge calling, "Sir? Sir?" He followed and caught up with the Avatar, and at the same time the man climbed onto the river bank and walked away from them. "Hey, wait!"

Sokka and Aang ran after him into the forest, and suddenly an explosion filled their ears. Sokka exclaimed, "What was THAT?" Aang made a worried expression, ran farther, and gasped. Where the man was, was now a small crater. Sokka just blinked and said, "Well, nothing we can do now. Let's go."

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><p>The two entered the inn and a terrible stench entered their noses, smelling like something between rotting fish and feces'. Toph was sitting in one of the chairs, covering her nose and holding her stomach as if she was about to puke, and Katara was complaining about the stench to the innkeeper. As Sokka got closer, he assumed the place had about a hundred residents with only three last names. The man looked very disturbing: his wide mouth, flat nose, snow white skin, and large eyes all looked abnormal to him. After Katara's complaints were done, the strange man grunted with slight lisp:<p>

"Eh, I haven't seen an outsider enter this place for some time, now."

Aang replied, "We're just here to see my friend's friend, Bato, for just a few nights maximum."

"Ah, the...schoolteacher, right?"

Katara chimed in, "That's right, he should be living nearby, right?"

"Well, it's just up the stairs in the upper town, but I'm not sure if your allowed there."

"Why not?"

"Well, we here don't trust strangers very much, and thus you may not be allowed in the upper town at all."

"Well, that's a pity!" Toph said sarcastically, but the innkeeper ignored her, and handed Sokka a key.

"Here's your room key. It's the only room, so you can't miss it."

"Thank you!" Aang said, and started up the stairs.

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><p>Once they walked up the stairs, the stench hit all of them like a sledgehammer, and they covered their noses. Toph asked, "What the heck is that?" Sokka, covering his nose, looked around and saw a ladder. He began to climb it, and the others followed. It was pitch black in the room, until Sokka bumped into some metal thing. He placed his hand on it, and the metal thing, a lantern, flickered to life.<p>

"Oh, spirits!" Aang yelled in alarm, and everybody gasped. At the end of the room was a wooden coffin, with slime oozing around the edges. Something was scribbled on the wall with blood. That explained the horrible stench! Sokka took a few steps forward, and opened the coffin slowly, and Katara yelled, "Sokka! What the heck are you doing?"

"OH MY GOD! Guys, look inside!" Sokka screamed, falling back. Toph asked, "What? What is in there?"

Aang and Katara walked forward, and Toph stood back, looking a little green. They peered inside, and gasped. Inside, were some bones along with_ rotting meat_. It was hard to say if any part of the pile of guts were human...

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><p>They walked downstairs, in shock, and into their new room. It had four beds along with a bookshelf, an empty chest, and a table with a few unlit candles, a freshly cooked steaks and pork chops. But all of them weren't hungry. There was also a letter and map on the table, and Sokka picked them up as Toph plopped onto her bed. "What does it say?" She asked, putting her hands behind her head. Sokka blinked, then read aloud:<p>

"Dear Katara, Sokka, and friends,

I have been in this town for some time now and I can say for sure that something is very wrong with this place. Aside from teaching at the local school I have been studying the local history and folklore for a while. What I have discovered so far is very strange, and I think I'll need your help to figure what is going on here!

I would really appreciate it if you can as soon as possible, as the locals are not exactly pleased with me going through their books at the library and with questions I have dared to ask. They are only letting me stay here as they know the Earth King would send someone to investigate this place if they heard about the level of their educational system...

From,

Bato of the Southern Water Tribe."

"So," Katara said. "Should we go see him now?"

Toph yawned loudly, and replied, "Sugar Queen, we've been traveling all day. I thin we should get some shut-eye before checking this place out, it's really creepy."

"Very well..." Yet Sokka could tell Katara was worried.

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><p>"Snoozles? HEY, SNOOZLES?" Toph yelled into Sokka's ear. He bolted awake, falling out of the bed in the process. He looked up to see a grinning Toph looking down at him. Aang and Katara were at the other side of the room eating, discussing what they're going to do today.<p>

"Geez, thanks for waking me," Sokka grumbled, getting up. Katara noticed him and said, "About time you woke up, come on, let's get moving."

"Can't I eat first?" Sokka whined, and Katara just tossed him a dry steak and walked out the door, Aang and Toph following. Sokka chewed on the meat, trying to ignore the smell from the attic, and ran after his friends and sister.

The sun shone bright in the sky, and a light breeze blew past them. The mud had disappeared, and the town seemed a little less creepy. But still, that strange atmosphere coated the town like a blanket, and Sokka got a chill up his spine after he swallowed the last bite of steak.

As they approached the stairs, a man on top of the hill shouted to them:

"Halt! You ain't from around here, so stay out of the upper town, got it? You can also forget about going to the church or town center, alright?"

"Well, if you say so." Aang said.

"That's right!"

They walked back down the stairs to the inn, but Toph stopped them and whispered, "How about if we just sneak through town?"

"What? That guard would kill us! He's like, seventeen feet tall!" Sokka whined, but Katara said, "Oh come on Sokka, don't you want to see Bato?" And Aang nodded.

Sokka sighed, being outnumbered, and replied, "Ok, just stay in the shadows, got it?"

Katara and Aang nodded, while Toph coughed. Sokka looked at her and remembered, "Oh yeah... Toph, just stay close to me." Then the blind Earthbender nodded.

"So, where's this guy Bato's house?" Toph asked, and Katara pointed to the house only a few feet away, "That one over there."

Then Sokka face palmed.

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><p>Walking into the house, Toph said, "So, we snuck around, by snuck around we just travelled, five yards, and it was here?"<p>

"Yep, that sums it up." Sokka said, and then noticed Bato wasn't there. However, there was another note for them. He picked it up and read aloud:

"I'm sorry that I couldn't wait for you, but this is really urgent, I can't wait any longer. I think I'm really onto something here. I'm heading for my office at the school. Check the map as the building looks nothing like a schoolhouse, I have no idea what it could be used as. Anyways, I have to check a few of my notes and hopefully I'll see you really soon.

I have a few candles and some leather jackets in the chest upstairs, take them, because this place can be really hostile."

"So, to the school?" Aang asked, and Sokka nodded. Katara walked down the stairs, with four leather jackets and a bunch of candles in her arms. Each of them took one, while Sokka placed all of the candles in his large pockets. He said, "Remember, don't be seen."

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><p>They walked outside and dashed behind the houses, stopping whenever Toph detected person. After a few minutes, they reached the school. Or, at least, what it said on the sign attached to the building. The building itself had a large iron door, thick stone walls, with moss growing up the sides. There were absolutely no windows, so you couldn't see indie. Toph placed her hand on one of the walls and said, "It's empty."<p>

"Are you sure he's not in there?" Sokka asked, disappointed. Katara said, "Let's just look inside, before someone catches us."

They walked in, and it was darker than outside, but they could faintly see some wooden desk around the room, along with a large one in front. Sokka turned to see a staircase, a few painting, and a bookshelf. He gulped, and walked to the stairs, not knowing what he was getting involved with.

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><p><strong>END OF PART ONE<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**** - I'm back with Part Two of Bato's Nightmare! Let's begin!**

**Disclaimer - I do not make money by writing this: ON THE ECONOMY!**

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><p><em>"<em>_I do not believe in the God of theology who rewards good and punishes evil."__  
><em>_- __Albert Einstein_

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><p>"Hey, guys? There's a teacher's office here!" Sokka called from upstairs, and everybody followed. Aang came upstairs to find a door with the sign: TEACHER'S OFFICE. Sokka opened the door, and they walked inside, closing the door behind them. The Teacher's office was much better than downstairs, with windows facing the back of the building, with bookshelves and a desk.<p>

Suddenly, they head footfall from downstairs, and everybody looked at each other, frozen in place. "Someone's downstairs..." Toph whispered, and Sokka turned to the desk and saw a letter, and grabbed it. Aang told him, "We'll read it later! We have to get out of here!"

"How do we do that, Twinkle Toes?"

"The windows!" Katara exclaimed, and Sokka understood. He pulled out his club and smashed the large windows, making glass rain on the ground below. They all heard the footsteps become faster, and closer. "Crap, he heard us! MOVE!" Toph shouted, and Sokka jumped across a small gap to a ledge, then landed. Katara and Aang followed, and just before Toph could jump, the door to the teacher's office burst open, and the innkeeper rushed in, saw Toph, and pulled out a knife. "Oh, shit!" The Earthbender screamed and the innkeeper ran forward, then she jumped across the gap and ran, the Gaang followed.

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><p>"What was that about?" Katara asked, panting. They were sitting on top of one of the buildings, since the hill was very close to almost all the buildings, including the school.<p>

"That church and town hall must have something they don't want people to see..." Aang added, and shifted his eyes to the school, where the innkeeper stood outside, talking to a guard.

"Well, we're going to find out where that treasure is." Toph said, and felt every stare at her. "What? They must be hiding treasure! Hey, Snoozles, what does that note say?"

"Oh yeah." Sokka said, and pulled out the note from his pocket. He unfolded it and read:

"I think I'm on the right trail. Right now I have two places to go so I could find additional clues: The library and the church. What interests me about the library is that I was allowed to go through the literature in there but never into the east wing that I could clearly see from the outside but it's somehow blocked from the inside. I bet the key is at the librarian's desk. As I was allowed in there I had no reason to break into the place at night when nobody's there, but now I have to do that.

There is a small house west of the library that the old librarian uses, the path to it starts with a tunnel near the stairs and continues along the hillside, but that is guarded by the very same librarian at night. Anyhow, I'm sure I can sneak past him using the small path I discovered and get in through the window of his house. The path starts west of the main library gate.

Before I go I will write about the church as well because if I get caught this information may never see sunlight again. Although the whole town regularly visits the church, the children knew almost nothing about the spirits or the Avatar. (I'm not a fan myself, but the history class has that chapter in it) They also only let locals near the church. So it made me wonder if they were worshipping some false god or something. I'm going to take a look there as well as soon as the bridge guard leaves his post,"

"Wow, long note." Toph commented.

"Apparently, there's a small path that leads to the library, right?" Katara asked, and Sokka nodded.

"Alright! Let's get going!" Aang said.

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><p>They followed the path, which was surrounded by forest. In the distance, they saw a large, mansion like building, and Aang said they should visit it later. In the middle of the path was a little guard post. The guard was reading a scroll, so Katara, Aang, and Toph dashed past undetected, but Sokka slipped and fell, making a loud thud. The guard turned and his eyes widened, then began ringing a large bell.<p>

"Crap!" Sokka said, and ran after the rest of the Gaang. Once he caught up, Toph Earthbended a pebble to strike him the the forehead. "OW!"

"Great job, Snoozles! You gave us away!" She shouted, and pelted him with another pebble.

"Alright, no fighting!" Katara ordered. "We have to find Bato, before the locals do."

Everybody nodded in agreement, and walked down the path.

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><p>"There's the library!"<p>

The library wasn't cheerful either, with large iron bars surrounding it, and was build by bricks, with very few windows. The front gate was locked, so they began searching for windows. There was a rather large window in the back, which Toph shattered completely using Earthbending.

Once they stepped inside, it became dark. Sokka lit three candle and gave Katara and Aang one, while Toph forged ahead. Sokka walked around, and suddenly stumbled, while Toph grabbed him by the collar and stopped him from falling into a large crater. "Oh, spirits!"

"What's wrong-wow. Why is there just a random big hole in the middle of the room?" Katara asked, then looked up. "And why is there a hole in the ceiling!" Sokka just backed away, and Aang called from behind a bookshelf, "Hey guys! I found the librarian's study!"

They walked in, but found nothing of use. They walked back out, and Aang peered into the crater, then jumped into it. "Aang!" Katara yelled, but then Aang called from below, "Guys! Come see this!"

Carefully, they climbed down, and Sokka saw a large slab of some unfamiliar black rock. Toph stepped forward, and placed her hand on it. "Obsidian."

"What? I didn't know the Earth Kingdom even had obsidian..." Aang commented, then climbed out the opposite side of the crater, and helped everyone out. After looking around the east wing, Aang exclaimed, "Aha! I found a hallway!"

They walked down the dark corridor, and opened the door at the end. Inside was a small room, completely filled with books. In the center, was a desk. Sokka got closer, and noticed there was a piece of paper sticking out from underneath a book. Bato must've hidden it so no one else would find it! He picked it up and read aloud:

"These things I have read about... I can't even start describing them! My hands are still shaking. I had discarded them as horror stories, but after what I've figured out so far I have to believe. Ancient deities, alternate dimensions, witchcraft, people merging with these alien beings! The more I think about it, the more sense it starts to make.

At first I thought their appearance of the locals was a result of inbreeding, but this is something on an entirely new level. I must hurry, take the book I left on the desk with you. I must make it to the church. The main doors are locked but I'm pretty sure that the priest's house has a back entrance into the church.

Makes me think why do people always add a secon...

**OH SPIRITS! Something just fell through the roof! I will go check it out...**

**IT DIDN'T COME FROM THE SKY BUT THE GROUND! I MUST HURRY..."**

Everyone stood in silence for a minute, then Sokka said, "We're getting Bato and getting out of this hellhole..."

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><p>They ran out of the room, jumped the crater, and just before they exited through the window, Toph stopped them. Angry voices came from the outside, along with light from torches. "Crap!" Toph whispered. "How did they find us?"<p>

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter! We have to get to the church!" Sokka whispered, and watched as the distant lights got closer and closer to the window. "OK, when I say run, run as fast as you can to the woods."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and they walked closer to the window. Just when he heard the locals talking, he said in a harsh whisper: "RUN!"

The second they stepped outside, the locals freaked out. Sokka soon discover that they were armed with bows, but it was too late now. He dodged the arrows and sprinted to the forest. The rest of the Gaang bended the arrows away, and Aang then blasted them back a few feet. Sokka yelled, "Keep running!"

Unexpectedly, an arrow flew from the roof of the library and towards Sokka. At the last second, he jumped out of the way, but the arrow struck into his hand. He cried out in pain, and saw the innkeeper on the library with a crossbow... reloading it.

The stone roof underneath the innkeeper caved in and he crashed into a bookshelf, thanks to Toph. "Don't just stand there Snoozles, RUN!" She shouted, and made a large wall between the Gaang and locals. They ran into the forest, and stopped when the locals were out of sight.

Katara started working on the arrow stuck in Sokka's hand, and asked ,"Should I get another arrow to get this arrow out?"

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><p>After what seemed like forever to Sokka, the arrow was out, but the warrior himself was exhausted. "Oh crap!" H said, and everyone gave him questioning looks. Aang asked, "What?"<p>

"Our stuff! We left all of our stuff at the inn!"

"What?"

"The maps, supplies, all of it's at the inn!"

"Oh no, how are we going to get it back?"

"Can't we just, you know," Toph asked. "Go back and get it?"

"What? Those villagers would kill us!"

An explosion echoed out into the forest, and everybody froze. In a second, Aang was sprinting away, the others in pursuit. When they reached the end of the forest, Sokka brought his non-bandaged hand to his mouth. The inn's ;left side had exploded, and debris was scatter in town. Villagers with torches and bows and arrows stood a few feet away, near a wooden platform, with a horrible instrument on it. The villagers were standing by some gallows.

On the platform was the innkeeper, bloodied and bruised, and his hands tied behind his back. A noose was around his neck, but the innkeeper was staring at the inn, horror plastered on his deformed face. The guard walked up onto the platform to a nearby lever, and announced to the villagers:

"Behold, my brothers, the man who failed to defeat the dogs that have entered our glorious village! We have partially destroyed his foul home and workplace, and now will give his soul to our master!"

The innkeeper began screaming in protest, but the villagers shouted to kill him for his 'crimes'. The guard placed his hand on the lever, and brought it down...

The Gaang turned away, as the atmosphere shifted from horrifying to sickening, as cheers of delight rang out, and a strangled cry of death.

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><p>They waited for the villagers to leave, and then they snuck down from the hill. Hiding in shadows, they watched the locals walk by, shivering at the sight. They reached the half ruined inn, and entered. A huge, gaping hole tore open the left side, and they carefully walked up the cracked stone stairs. Sokka quietly thanked the spirits that the place was made of stone, not wood, or the place would've burned, along with their stuff.<p>

Their room was also blown open, but the bookshelf had fallen and sheltered their belongings. Once they retrieved them, Aang said, "Come on, we're heading to the church."

"What?" Sokka screamed, but Toph then cover him mouth, and whispered, "Shut up, Snoozles! If those creeps catch us, there're going to be arrows in many other places instead of your hand!"

Once she removed her hand, Sokka whispered, "Why are we going to the church? Those guys will kill us on the spot!"

Katara said, "Well, do you just want to leave Bato here? Trapped with these...these monsters?"

Sokka fell into silence, then told them, "OK, but we wait until nightfall. We'll hide in the attic until then."

"Up there? With that rotting pile of cap?" Toph asked, becoming a little green. Sokka then asked her, "Well, do you want to be shot with an arrow? Come on."

The Earthbender sighed, then followed him to the attic. None of it looked disturbed, so they sat down, a few feet away from the rotting carcass. Sokka began to doze off, and finally fell asleep.

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><p>He woke up to the sound of screaming.<p>

His eyes flew awake as Katara froze something to the floor. He blinked. Is that...a skeleton? The skeleton then moved, shattering the ice. Toph armored herself with stone from the walls, and sent a powerful punch to the monster's head. The skull snapped off, straight into the coffin, while the rest of the skeleton fell to pieces into a pile of bones on the floor. The coffin was wide open, and a rotting hand suddenly gripped the edge of the coffin.

What came out reeked of curdled blood and rotting meat. Katara screamed, and Aang took a few steps back, and Sokka was frozen in place on the floor. Only Toph seemed unaffected, but underneath the earth armor her heart flipped when her feet sensed the creature.

The creature in front of them seemed like it was huge chunks of rotting meat and organs, loosely held together by a single small intestine, like a mummy. Ribs stuck out of its back like horns, and a spine stuck out from the back of the creature, while six skulls were embedded on the creature's torso. It had six legs and hands holding up from the ground, and it's head was an upside down face, with an eye hanging out of its head, the other eye bright red, nose ripped off, lips painfully stitched together, and only bloody stubs for ears.

It let out an inhuman roar, causing then to cover their ears. The stitches on its mouth suddenly ripped open, reveling many rows of deformed teeth, and it screamed in many distant voices, **"WHERE IS MY FATHER? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM?"**

It ran forward, and Toph sent chunks of rock at it. The pieces of rock simply stuck into its organs, and some even fell onto the floor, spurting blood everywhere. Toph then brought down pillars of rock, but the creature dodged and ran straight at her. She jumped out of the way, as it charged past, and landed a punch onto its head. To her surprise, the thing exploded, making blood and gore fly everywhere.

Toph's armor shattered and she flew into the wall, head first. The creature was not a smoldering crater or blood, and Sokka backed away. Aang turned away, holding his stomach, while Katara ran over to Toph. The Earthbender was in shock, covered with head to toe in blood. "Toph? Toph? Are you OK?" Katara asked, and suddenly, Toph turned away and vomited.

"I'm...ugh...fine..." The blind Earthbender groaned, and stood up, shaking. "Let's get moving..."

Sokka stood up and helped Toph down the stairs, not believing what just happened. Katara and Aang followed, eyes darting around if Katara's screams had alerted the villagers. Something was very, very wrong with Calmere...

**END OF PART TWO**


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